37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 494104 |
Time | |
Date | 200012 |
Day | Wed |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : mkjs.airport |
State Reference | FO |
Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
Environment | |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tracon : clt.tracon |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | B737-300 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff cruise : level ground : parked ground : preflight ground : taxi |
Route In Use | departure sid : ns |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : student pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 10000 |
ASRS Report | 494104 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge |
Qualification | flight attendant : currently qualified |
Events | |
Anomaly | cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : cab#1 |
Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution |
Consequence | other Other |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Passenger Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance Company Flight Crew Human Performance |
Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
Narrative:
While attending to a defective smoke detector in the aft cabin, I passed a swearing mrs X who appeared to be intoxicated, either by drugs or alcohol. The flight attendant crew was aware of situation and wanted mrs X removed from the flight. Mbj manager (mr Y) was notified to remove the passenger. Mr X told the manager that mrs X was bipolar and entitled to be on the flight. To verify for the safety of the flight, I went to talk to mrs X to ascertain if he/she could control themselves in-flight, whereupon mr X assured me he could keep her calm. All the while, mrs X was screaming at me and crying. Verifying she was not drunk, and checking her identify bracelet for a bipolar disability, we, as a crew, decided we would allow her to ride. Approximately 1 1/2 hours into the flight, a flight attendant stated mr X was severely distraught and demanded an apology to his wife, saying I embarrassed and harassed her. At this time, profanities by both mr and mrs X were flying. Per our airline and union rules, I could not leave the cockpit for fear of aircraft safety. As the flight progressed, mr X became more and more aggressive. In the pattern at clt at 9000 ft, flight attendant Z burst into the cockpit, crying and shaking, stating mr X had threatened her with bodily harm and that a fist fight was about to break out between mr X and a passenger due to the profanity. At this point, I told clt approach 'we are not declaring an emergency, although we would like to get on the ground as soon as possible, due to an impending fist fight.' no other incident followed and I had auths meet the flight at the gate. It is my opinion that mr X may be suffering from bipolarism as well.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT RPT, B737-300., MBJ-CLT. BIPOLAR WOMAN VERBALLY ABUSIVE ON BOARDING. HUSBAND, WIFE VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE ON APCH. AUTHS MET FLT IN CLT.
Narrative: WHILE ATTENDING TO A DEFECTIVE SMOKE DETECTOR IN THE AFT CABIN, I PASSED A SWEARING MRS X WHO APPEARED TO BE INTOXICATED, EITHER BY DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW WAS AWARE OF SIT AND WANTED MRS X REMOVED FROM THE FLT. MBJ MGR (MR Y) WAS NOTIFIED TO REMOVE THE PAX. MR X TOLD THE MGR THAT MRS X WAS BIPOLAR AND ENTITLED TO BE ON THE FLT. TO VERIFY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT, I WENT TO TALK TO MRS X TO ASCERTAIN IF HE/SHE COULD CTL THEMSELVES INFLT, WHEREUPON MR X ASSURED ME HE COULD KEEP HER CALM. ALL THE WHILE, MRS X WAS SCREAMING AT ME AND CRYING. VERIFYING SHE WAS NOT DRUNK, AND CHKING HER IDENT BRACELET FOR A BIPOLAR DISABILITY, WE, AS A CREW, DECIDED WE WOULD ALLOW HER TO RIDE. APPROX 1 1/2 HRS INTO THE FLT, A FLT ATTENDANT STATED MR X WAS SEVERELY DISTRAUGHT AND DEMANDED AN APOLOGY TO HIS WIFE, SAYING I EMBARRASSED AND HARASSED HER. AT THIS TIME, PROFANITIES BY BOTH MR AND MRS X WERE FLYING. PER OUR AIRLINE AND UNION RULES, I COULD NOT LEAVE THE COCKPIT FOR FEAR OF ACFT SAFETY. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED, MR X BECAME MORE AND MORE AGGRESSIVE. IN THE PATTERN AT CLT AT 9000 FT, FLT ATTENDANT Z BURST INTO THE COCKPIT, CRYING AND SHAKING, STATING MR X HAD THREATENED HER WITH BODILY HARM AND THAT A FIST FIGHT WAS ABOUT TO BREAK OUT BTWN MR X AND A PAX DUE TO THE PROFANITY. AT THIS POINT, I TOLD CLT APCH 'WE ARE NOT DECLARING AN EMER, ALTHOUGH WE WOULD LIKE TO GET ON THE GND ASAP, DUE TO AN IMPENDING FIST FIGHT.' NO OTHER INCIDENT FOLLOWED AND I HAD AUTHS MEET THE FLT AT THE GATE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT MR X MAY BE SUFFERING FROM BIPOLARISM AS WELL.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.